Mahanati, the biopic on the legendary actor Savitri released on May 9 last year, earned both critical acclaim and commercial success. Directed by Nag Aswin, the film threw light on Savitri’s life as an actor and her relationship with her husband and actor Gemini Ganesan, a legend in his own right. The film released in Tamil as Nadigar Thilagam.
The film is heading to China and will be broadcasted at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The festival will be held from June 15-24. Director Nag Ashwin wrote, “Privileged to take our Savitri garu to China. Quite confident she will steal their hearts as well.. #mahanati.”
Privileged to take our Savitri garu to China. Quite confident she will steal their hearts as well.. #mahanati https://t.co/mIMivQ6Bvh
— Nag Ashwin (@nagashwin7) May 4, 2019
The film was recently showcased at the International Film Festival of India and Melbourne Film Festival. With massive set pieces, the film was unlike anything that’s been explored in Indian cinema before. The film was made on a lavish scale and as a fitting tribute to the veteran. It was unstoppable at the box-office, both domestically as well as at the US ticket window. In the US, the film, with over $2.5 million gross, became the sixth highest grosser after films such as SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali series, Ram Charan-starrer Rangasthalam, and Mahesh Babu-starrer Bharat Ane Nenu and Srimanthudu, making it the first heroine-centric film to achieve that rare feat.
The film saw Dulquer Salmaan play the role of Gemini Ganesan and Samantha played the role of a journalist named Madhuravani. Vijay Deverakonda was the photojournalist cast opposite Samantha in the film. Naga Chaitanya did a cameo and played the part of his grandfather A Nageswar Rao in the film.
Savitri, one of the most versatile actors that the film industry has seen till date, was born on 4 January 1936. She has acted in several films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam Kannada and Hindi in her long career. Her debut was with the Telugu flick Samsaram in 1950 and her first ever Tamil movie as heroine was a couple of years later with Kalyanam Pannip Paar. She died on 26 December 1981 due to substance abuse.
(Content provided by Digital Native)